Respect the Survivor’s Autonomy and Dignity

When a young person — a child — experiences the horror of sexual violence, their world is shattered. They lose a sense of safety, of trust, and of control over their own life.

To then force that child to carry a pregnancy that resulted from that violence is not just cruel — it is unthinkable. It compounds the trauma. It tells them that after their body was taken from them once, it will be taken from them again.

By forcing survivors who want abortions to give birth, you are forcing them to forever be connected and controlled by their rapists. You are forcing them to experience another trauma.

Compassion demands that society respond with care, not coercion, by offering options — including  abortion.

HB 215 by Representative Delisha Boyd would ensure that young survivors of rape and incest can access abortion care and reclaim control over their life, body, and future..

The overwhelming majority of Louisiana voters (70%) support this exception.

Send a letter to the Committee Members to urge their support for HB 215

Protect Young Peoples’ Access to Healthcare

HB 400 by Representatives Chenevert and Horton would require parental consent before a minor (under 18) could receive most non-emergency medical care.

Currently, minors can sometimes consent on their own to certain types of care, like mental health services, sexual health services, or substance abuse treatment. This bill would restrict that.

Although encouraging parental involvement in minors’ health care can have positive impacts, strictly mandating parental involvement deters and delays many young people from seeking the healthcare services they need, including critical reproductive care, like contraception, STI treatment, or gender affirming care.

While parental consent laws claim to be rooted in protecting minors, the real impact is creating impossible hoops for young people to jump through. Those with parents who are absent or unavailable, as well as those with parents who refuse to provide consent due to shame, stigma, miseducation, religious beliefs, or cultural differences will be entirely unable to access the confidential care they need.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and American Academy of Family Physicians strongly recommend the protection of adolescent confidentiality. However, this bill would require that providers do the opposite, to the detriment of young people across the state.

It is vitally important that young people have access to confidential services and are able to trust their health care providers so they can make informed decisions about their bodies and their lives.

Send a letter to your Representative to urge their opposition to HB 400

Say No to Misinformation in Our Schools

House Bill 478 requires public high schools and colleges in Louisiana to display and distribute information from unlicensed, anti-abortion pregnancy centers, known for spreading misinformation about reproductive health.

Public schools and colleges should provide fact-based, medically accurate education—not promote particular viewpoints or political agendas about pregnancy or adoption.

Send a letter to your Representative to urge their opposition to House Bill 478

HB 575 expands civil liability for care that could later be deemed an abortion and would allow an abusive partner to sue without the permission of the pregnant person, for years after a pregnancy, and without much burden of proof.

This Week: HB 575 moved to the Senate this week and was heard by Judiciary Committee A where it passed by one vote to the Senate floor. Multiple amendments were added at the last minute, prohibiting the committee and opponents from speaking fully to the remaining issues, of which there are many. We'll dig into a breakdown of all these amendments on the upcoming episode of Seriously?! coming this Monday

Take Action: Tell your senator not to allow this bill through the Senate. Follow the button below to quickly email them.

In the midst of Louisiana’s first cases of measles recently confirmed by the Louisiana Department of Health and an ongoing whooping cough (pertussis) outbreak that has already killed 2 Louisiana infants, Louisiana lawmakers are considering bills that threaten to dismantle core components of the state’s public health infrastructure. House Bill 690 requires the Louisiana Surgeon General to create rules for the administration of vaccines and other medical interventions approved for emergency use. This could undermine the trust between patient and provider at a time when it’s needed most - during an emergency.